At Least the Rest of World Still Reads Newspapers

At the start of the 61st World Newspaper Congress yesterday (we miss all the good parties), officials from the World Association of Newspapers tried to shed some happy light on an industry that’s struggling in the United States. According to a report, circulation of paid newspapers rose 2.6 percent worldwide in 2007. Bolstered by better economies and increased illiteracy, India and China saw huge gains in readership, with 107 million copies sold daily. Asia now boasts 74 of the 100 highest circulation papers in the world.

The positivity of the report is tempered by lagging readership in the United States and Europe, which saw three percent and 1.9 percent declines, respectively. In the U.S., circulation is down eight percent over the past five years. Online advertising revenue, although up 32 percent, isn’t nearly enough to combat the losses.